Blackmoor Golf Club
Blackmoor Golf Club

Blackmoor is a (Gary) Player’s Course

Golf legend Gary Player has 165 professional wins, including nine major championships, and one Myrtle Beach course design on a resume that is among the most impressive in the history of the game.

Located in Murrells Inlet, the Player-designed Blackmoor Golf Club delivers a varied challenge on a memorable piece of Lowcountry real estate. Here is what you need to know:

Early Bird Gets the Worm
Player famously begins each morning with 1,300 sit-ups, and the Black Knight requires golfers to be ready upon arrival at the first tee, just like he is. The opening six holes at Blackmoor are the layout’s toughest. The 170-yard (white tees) second is the day’s longest par 3 and holes five and six are Blackmoor’s most difficult. The fifth is a 343-yard dogleg right that tempts players to try and cut the corner – don’t do it. Play the hole conventionally and try to get out with a par.

Don’t be frightened by the challenge over the first third of the day; the back nine opens up and allows players to gamble a little more on a piece of land that was once home to a thriving rice plantation.

The 8th Hole at Blackmoor Golf Club

Myrtle Beach’s Best Risk-Reward Hole
That’s not hyperbole. Blackmoor’s eighth hole presents an unforgettable risk-reward decision. The hole can be played as a 370-yard, 90-degree dogleg right and making par shouldn’t be exceedingly difficult, but Player offers the chance for so much more. There is a chute through a swath of pine trees, allowing golfers the opportunity to cut the dogleg and make No. 8 a drivable 270 yards. The window, approximately 30-40 yards wide, doesn’t offer much margin for error, but if you hit it straight, even coming up short can leave you in position to make birdie. Sure, you could make a big number, but I’d recommend pulling out the driver and taking a crack at glory. How many chances do you get?

The 14th at Blackmoor

Fairways to Heaven
Golfers have a chance to score at Blackmoor provided they do one thing – find the shortgrass. The layout, playing 6,217 yards from the white tees (6,614 from the tips) isn’t exceedingly long, but with a variety of doglegs and relatively tight fairways, you have to put the ball in play off the tee. If necessary, leave the driver in the bag.

The 18th at Blackmoor

Stadium Package
One of Myrtle Beach’s more popular offerings, the Stadium Package with Myrtle Beach Golf Central, spotlights Blackmoor. The 3-night, 3-or-more-round deal also features your choice of golf at Tidewater, Arcadian Shores, Crown Park and the Maples, Jones and Byrd courses at Sea Trail. Accommodations are at River Oaks Resort, and the package also includes a “Stadium Lunch” for each day of play (hot dog, chips, snack, beer/soda) and free same-day replays available at Sea Trail Jones, Sea Trail Maples and Crown Park.

Wicked Tuna at the Marshwalk in Murrells Inlet

A Marsh(walk) to Remember
After the final putt drops at Blackmoor, make short drive to Murrells Inlet’s famed Marshwalk. Whether you are looking for an outstanding dinner (hello, Wicked Tuna) or want to enjoy happy hour overlooking the marsh at Dead Dog Saloon, there is no more relaxing setting along the Grand Strand.